Mental Health

Kirsty made this Freedom of Information request to University of Manchester as part of a batch sent to 179 authorities This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

Kirsty
Delivered

Dear Universities,

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information in regards to the mental heath resources at your university.

1. How many support service staff have been employed with a mental health remit (e.g. counselling, wellbeing) in each of the last 5 academic years. If a breakdown is not available for mental health staff, please provide a total for the closest possible category.

2. Budget for mental health support for each of the last 5 academic years, and where possible a breakdown on how that money is allocated, e.g. staff, marketing, equipment etc.

3. Number of students seeking mental health support in each of the last 5 academic years.

4. Average waiting time for mental health support in each of the last 5 academic years.

5. Any internal reports or reviews relating to mental health provision over the last 5 years.

Please provide the above information digitally, preferably in the form of an excel spreadsheet.

If it is not possible to provide the information requested due to the information exceeding the cost of compliance limits identified in Section 12, please provide advice and assistance, under your Section 16 obligations, as to how I can refine my request to be included in the scope of the Act.

In any case, if you can identify ways that my request could be refined please provide further advice and assistance to indicate this.

I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as stipulated by the Act.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to clarify what I am asking for.

Yours faithfully,

Kirsty Card

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MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

Dear Kirsty

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information
relating to mental health resources.

 

The University will respond within 20 working days of receipt.

 

Kind regards

 

Lisa

 

Dr Lisa Crawley l  Information Officer  l Information Governance Office
l Directorate of Compliance and Risk l  Professional Support Services |
Room G6 Christie Building  l Compliance & Risk Management Office l  The
University of Manchester  l  Oxford Road  l  Manchester  l  M13 9PL  l 
Tel +44 (0)161 275 8400  

 

 

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MTRS FOIA, University of Manchester

Dear Kirsty

 

Thank you for your email requesting data on mental health support at The
University of Manchester and please find our response below:

 

1. How many support service staff have been employed with a mental health
remit (e.g. counselling, wellbeing) in each of the last 5 academic years.
If a breakdown is not available for mental health staff, please provide a
total for the closest possible category.

 

  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
10fte 10fte 10fte 10fte 11fte
Counsellors Counsellors Counsellors Counsellors Counsellors
0.2fte 0.2fte 0.2fte 0.2fte 0.2fte
Counselling psychiatrist psychiatrist psychiatrist psychiatrist psychiatrist
0.6fte Mental 0.6fte Mental 0.6fte Mental 0.8 fte 1.6fte Mental
staff health nurse health nurse health nurse Mental health health nurse
nurse
  0.75fte CBT 0.75fte CBT 0.75fte CBT 0.75fte CBT 0.75fte CBT
therapist therapist therapist therapist therapist
  2.25fte 2.25fte 2.25fte 2.25fte 3fte
Psychological Psychological Psychological Psychological Psychological
Wellbeing Wellbeing Wellbeing Wellbeing Wellbeing
Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners
0.6fte 0.6fte 0.6fte 0.6fte 0.6fte

Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior
Disability Disability Disability Disability Disability
Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser
Disability 5.2fte 5.2fte 5.2fte 5.2fte 5.2fte
Advisory &
Support Disability Disability Disability Disability Disability
staff* Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser
2.8fte 2.8fte 2.8fte 2.8fte 2.8fte

Assistant Assistant Assistant Assistant Assistant
Disability Disability Disability Disability Disability
Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser Adviser

 

[*Note: these staff will spend a proportion of their time supporting
mental health]

 

 

2. Budget for mental health support for each of the last 5 academic years,
and where possible a breakdown on how that money is allocated, e.g. staff,
marketing, equipment etc.

 

  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Counselling
Pay 761,867 830,834 865,343 895,595 1,002,731
Service

 
Non Pay 36,680 41,751 32,836 37,548 37,499
 
Disability Advisory & Pay 661,081 675,370 722,698 731,845 774,655
Support Service Non Pay 258,290 296,832 219,301 287,787 335,200

 

Note: only a proportion of the expenditure will be related to mental
health support.

 

3. Number of students seeking mental health support in each of the last 5
academic years.

 

In terms of the Counselling Service: 

  2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Students accessing 1:1  2400-2500 2500-2600 2500-2600 2600-2700 2700-2800
sessions
Students accessing   c400 c400 c500 c600 c700
groups/workshops

 

In terms of student declaring a mental health condition from a disability
perspective then the numbers are: 

 

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Number of students 580 871 1322 1647 2041

 

4. Average waiting time for mental health support in each of the last 5
academic years.

 

We have not operated a waiting list for the Counselling Service in this
period of time. Wait times in this service for routine first appointments
have varied from no wait to 6 weeks at peak times. Urgent same day
appointments have always been available and we have had a duty counsellor
available who could release earlier appointments. For 2018 to date we have
operated a same day booking system, so appointments are offered on the
day. The duty counsellor is still available and we still reserve urgent
slots each day.

The Disability Advisory and Support Service (which, as noted above, also
provides some mental health support) does not record data on waiting times
so no information is held by them in relation to this question.

 

5. Any internal reports or reviews relating to mental health provision
over the last 5 years.

 

There have not been reviews or reports of this nature across the above
academic years.                     

 

With best regards

 

Lisa

 

 

Dr Lisa Crawley l  Information Officer  l Information Governance Office
l Directorate of Compliance and Risk l  Professional Support Services |
Room G7 Christie Building  l Compliance & Risk Management Office l  The
University of Manchester  l  Oxford Road  l  Manchester  l  M13 9PL  l 
Tel +44 (0)161 275 8400  

 

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